rucKNix EARTH AROUND TREES . [ For the Prairie Farmer . mr . K . . MESSRS . EDITORS : Allow me to recommend very strongly to those of your readers who are pulling out apple orchards of root grafts this fall , or who have those which have been set out a year or-two , that they throw earth around the bodies of them to the height of four or five inches just before the setting in of winter . The object is to prevent the bark , after it , bursts , ( which it is apt lo do near ihe surface of ihe ground , ) from freezing and thawing during the winter , which often occasions the death of the tree if left naked ; whereas , if covered up by earth the injury will not be near as great . Besides this main object , it protects the roots much , especially of trees set the same fall ; and helps materially in preventing the ravages of mice during , the winter , as in lig ht snows the earth will be above them . The later it can be done before winter sets in , the better ; as the bark should burst all...

VEGETABLE MARKET OF PHILADELPHIA . f Fnr lltn Prairie Farmer . MESSRS . E DITORS : Thinking that a little information from this city will not be uninteresting to many of your numerous , readers , I will try and communicate a Utile that I hay §; chanccd to pick up by the way side . As this is the greaif season for fruit here , I will make that the subject of this epistle . Our markets now arc completely flooded with apples , pears , peaches , tomatoes , watermelons , mtiskroelons ,, cantelopc 8 , citrons , et cetera to infinity . The peaches are the most prominent articles in the list . They are brought mostly from the States of New Jersey and Delaware . There is every variety , from small hard green ones to the large liteciouscheeked lemon peach so much in repute here . Several vessels are employed in transporting them from the lower parts of Jersey and the State of Delaware up the river to this city . They , are mostly , if not wholly , brought in baskets holding about five gallons...

CULTIVATION OF THE VINE . [ From the New York Farmer and Mechanic . Ma . FtKET : When you were last at my place , you requested me to send you a written statement of my mode of treating the grape vine . In the first place I dig a hole two and a half to three feet deep , according to the length of the vine , never less than two , about three feet square . My reason for doing so , is to get the roots beyond the influence of the sun , as they arc naturally inclined to approach the surface , causing the vine to throw out an unusual quantity of foliage and fruit ; and when the dry season commences , they feel the drouth immediately . After the vine has been established for three years , I dig down and cut off every root from the main body . In doing so I dig a trench each side of the vine a foot deep , from two to three feet wide , and fill it up with all sorts of rubbish , such as pea brush , bones , shoes , &amp;amp; c . I chop up all my vine trimming in pieces of about 8 inches in...

HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS [ For the Prairie Farmer . COOKINO . Messrs . Editors : I am delighted with your Good Cooking vs . Poor , and some good will come of it—and thus diminish dyspepsia and other ailments induced by poisonous food . Although I have visited the four quarters of our globe , I have seen and felt the old saying God gives ns food , but the devil sends cooks , more decidedly a truth in the West than elsewhere . Fry , fry , fry—M food ( if it deserves the name when sobedeviletl ) is fried , and dished floating in villainous liquid grease and dirt—made so tough by the process that mastication is not to be thought of ; so down it goes , entire , as hungry dog s gulp Ibeir bits ; lis nauseous—therefore ihe quick process is desirable so far as tasting , but poor stomach must suffer : for digesting such stringy , leather-like stuff is a process not to be expected . Then , serving animal food ( he day or hour it is killed is a horror 11 Fresh caught or killed fish is a good thing , ...

SEEDS FROM PATENT OFFICE—EXPERIMENTS . [ For the Prairie Farmer . MessnB . EOITORS : Our public servants , the Commissioner of Patents and the Representative in Congress of the— -th District , have , without doubt , done the dear people service by the distribution of foreign seeds through the country ; and I hope they will continue the practice . But the benefit arising from it seems to be incomplete without reports from some of those who try the seeds , with regard to their real value . For many varieties of plants which do well in their native region , are worthless when transferred to this country , because unsuited to the soil and climate ; while some may and do prove real acquisitions to our agriculture . I have experimented upon some of the seeds which I obtained at your office , and herewith present my report : Kloss s White , Blue-stem Winter Wheat was sown the 21 st of August , 1844 , on good wheat land . For some cause , many of the plants did not survive the winter ; the ...

VISIT TO THE EAST . [ For the Prairie Farmer . . . BY ALEX . MCDONALD . MESSRS . EDITORS : In compliance with my promise vhe / l I left your flourishing city , on my tour through tbo yVesl and . iNorth , Inow give you such agricultural information as fell under my observation from that lime until 1 reached home on the 16 th inst . I had the pleasure , while our elegant steamboat and gentlemanly captain Card slopped , at Cleveland , to go out and visit the nursery of Mr . Maclyntqsli , I found this industrious Scotchman exerting himself to furnish the country with fruit trees ; and I have nodoubt . while hemakes this branch of husbandry profitable tohimself , : he will render most essential service to the city of ; Cleveland and / the surrounding country . I also had the pleasure , while spending a day at Buffalo , of visiting theilarge and flourishing nursery of Mr . Bryant . This gentleman , as well as Mr . Mackintosh , is doing much in the way of supplying the country with fruits ...

ROtfGH COCKS FOOT , OR ORCHARD GRASS . [ For the Prairie Farmer . MESSRS . EDITORS : I will venture to occupy a small space in your columns for the purpose of recommending the cultivation of Rough Cock s Footer Orchard Grass , as a substitute for timothy on our dry prairies . I-sowed a small patch two years since , and it has shown itself to be an excellent grass . It is earlier than timothy , makes good late and early feed , is not affected by drouth , and is said to produce more pastuiage than any artificial grass in America . Sow two bushels of seed to an acre . But farmers cannot be loo careful where they purchase their seed . Mine was obtained , at a seed store in Boston ; and the sorrel and burdock have come up almost as thick as the grass . I should seed a large piece this fall , but am deterred through fear of overrunning my farm with Canada thistle , sorrel , etc How is this to be remedied ? Yours respectfully , FREDERICK . Linwood , 9 ( h October , 1845 . There are 900 dif...

BALLOON BUILDINGS . MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT . To those who are unacquainted with this phrase when applied to buildings , an explanation is given when they are described as frames composed wholly of scantling—with the exception of heavy sills—and destitute entirely of braces . This mode of putting up houses in this city and elsewhere in the West has been the subject of no small amount of ridicule , but from the experience we have had in removing a building of this sort , and the observation afforded by the removal of others , we are satisfied that it is pretty much underrated , and that such frames , if properly put up , are not only the cheapest , but as good as any others . Certain it is , that the best wood dwellings of a class costing from $ 1000 to $ 2500 , in this city , are built altogether in this manner . The mode is to lay a heavy set of sills , erect the scantling , and cover the whole with a close coat , of sheathing of inch boards , put closely , together and firmly nailed...

SCRIPTURES WHEEL . It will be recollected , perhaps , that in an -early number of the present volume we gave some account vf this wheel , but which our reviewer pronounced to be unintelligible from the description . The same wheel was exhibited at the late Fair of the American Institute , and the New York Farmer &amp;amp; Mechanic treats us to a cut and description , which will be readily understood . It will be perceived that the cut represents a hub in two halves , having spokes proceeding from each to the common felloe or circumference . By turning the nut on the end of the axle these spokes are tightened , thus completely obviating the old method of putting in a new spoke when becoming loose . By unscrewing the nut all the spokes can be taken out with the utmost facility and new ones put in by the farmer himself , with the aid of saw and nxe only . The tire requires to be reset less frequently and with less trouble . The position of the spokes gives greater strength to the w...

A NEW MATERIAL FOR ROOFING . We undertook last month to give some account of a new mode of roofing . Since then the following in the N . Y . Farmer &amp;amp; Mechanic has met our notice , which will be found more satisfactory : 11 We learn from the Philadelphia Ledger , through the . communication- of a Mechanic , that a new method for roofing houses h aS been invented by two gentlemen of that State , which is more durable than shingles , slate , or tin , a * brilliant as glass , fire proof and water proof , red , blue , green , or any other color tfiat may be desired ; a non-con-ductor of electricity , a . reflector of beat , cheaper than tin , lijgriter than slate ; being vitrified , it is almost indestructible by ti ; rn ¥ or weather ; ahd so easily put oh that the largest roof can be covered in a single day , if desired . It requires very little descent ; a roof covered with this material may be made as flat as any tin roof without the least danger of leaking . Nothing short...

THE ART OF PAINTING . CoMpotJNniNo COLORS . White is considered as not only si principal color in painting , but the base or foundation of all light colored paints . White lead is the principal white in use , .. though a more delicate white , called flake while , is used in ornamental work . Several common colors , known as lead color , slate color , &amp;amp; c , are produced by mixing lamp black with white lead indifferent proportions . A small . quantity of Prussian blue , finely ground and added to white lead , constitutes the common sky blue . Minute quantities of blue and yellow added to white , produce the delicate pearl color , so much in vogue for parlors and halls . Straw color is produced by the addition of a little chrome yellow to white : and pea green by the addition of Paris green . A beautiful li ght purple , or peach blossom color is produced , by adding to white lead , small quantities of ultramarine blue , and drop lake . It is needless to specif y the exact p...

SINGULAR ESCAPE FROM LIGHTNING ; Wo were . at Oswego , the newly elected county seat of Kendall , some time since , and visited Mr . Chapin s blacksmith shop , which the day before had been struck with lightning . There appears to have been two currents nearly simultaneous , one of which struck the ridge pole ten feet from the front end , and the other struck a chimney in the back end of the building . The house is probably 35 feet in length and 24 in width ; the upper part occupied for a wagon maker s shop , and the lower for a blacksmith s . The first-named current divided pn the roof , shivering to pieces ( he corner post , and on the other side of the building passing down the post ten feet , from the corner . A man stood at his work bench in front of the post , who was thrown across the shop under a bench , and his chisels , bits , augers , &amp;amp; c . which were hanging iu a frame work , were carried out of the front window , as is supposed , and none of them could be fo...

EDITORS TABLE A Discovery . The editor of the Indiana Farmer and Gardener , who has been peregrinating about the State , says he has discovered some of the places from which the unutterably dirty butter comes , which is sent to the Indianapolis market . That is right—track em out ! liidexes . The same editor furnishes a capital article of a page on indexes , but gives no monthly table of contents . A mirror———Cocoons . The Louisville Journal slates that there is-a market in that city for any amount of cocoons or raw silk that may be offered . Stencils . Mr . H . N . White , our engraver , insists that in our remarks on this matter last month we did the men of his craft great injustice . His doctrine is , that the farmer needs only his own name ; and that he , the said White , is ready at all times to furnish this , cut in a single piece of brass plate , for the sum of from three to five shillings ; thereby putting in the farmer s pocket—or rather keeping it there—an equal sum over w...

CHICAGO MAUKET . Prairie Farmer Office , Nov . 1 , 1345 . Tho receipts of wheat during the past month have been pretty heavy , ranging from 6 , 000 to 18 , 000 bushels daily . The price ranges from 65 to 69 cents , and would be several cents higher but for the unusual cost of freights , owing to the immense quantities of produce going forward . The weather continues fine and the roads good . Coarse grains , vegetables , and the various smaller articles of farm produce now find teady sale , and we notice that the poultry raisers are beginning to discover this . Lumber has advanced somewhat . The Penny Magazine , Parts 32 and 13 , is just received from W . W . Barlow . • Only 25 cents for 170 pages , with cuts . A National Geography for Schools , illustrated by 220 engravings and 33 Maps , with a Globe Map on a new plan : By S . G . Goodrich , author of Parley s Tales . This is a very beautiful work indeed for the use of schools . It is got . up on the plan of Morse s New Geography , ...